Combined hitching and releasing mechanism for animals.



- UNITED 'GEORGE SCHREPFER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED HITCHING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR AIIMAZLSH Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 190s.

Application and :me 7, 1906. seria No. 320,635. y

To all trimm. it vmay concern:

Be it tuinen that I, GEORGE ScxmEPrI-m, a citizen et the United States, and resident of St. Louis, .\lissouri,` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a. Combined IIitclrirg and Releasing Mechanism for Animals, o' which the i'oilowing is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in a combined hitching and releasing mechanism for animals, and consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of arts as will be fully hereinafter described and) claimed.

Theehject of my invention is to construct a device to be placed in each stall of the barn to which the animal is fastened, and a means whereby' the entire series of devices ma \v be operated simultaneously and independently for releasing the animals.

.-1 further object of my invention is that the strap to which the animal is fastened is retained in a taut position, yet adjusting itself to the movement of the animal.

In the drawings-Figu're 1 is a perspective view o my invention. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view taken ou thezline 2--2 ot' Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a'detail sectional view of a spring-actuated roller made use of in connection with my invention. Fig. 5 is a det-ail perspective View of the re leasing rod made use of in releasing the series of devices.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 7 indicates a housing composed of a rear wall S, front Wall 9, side walls 10 and 11, a top 12, and a bottom 13. Y

The upper and lower-ends of the rear wall S are `provided with integral perforated projections 14 b f which the device is secnrelv fastened to tie front 15 of the stall- The front is provided with an opening 16 through which o )crates the halter strap 17, the free end of which being )rovided with an ordinsqr sna 1S, and its ot 1er end securely attached to t 1e springr roller 19. The spring roller 19 is of the ordinary I-Iartshorn roller type. its pivotal end 20 being mounted and located in a recess 21 `formed in the side wall 10, the other end '22 being formed square, and is 1nel d in a. s nare recess 23 formed in the side Wall 11. 'l ie halter strap is also provided sith a stop bar 24, which comes in con- .shifting bar 29.

tact with the inner surface ox' the front wall 9 when the halter strap is withdrawn to prevent strain from being brought agaimst the fastened end of the strap and disconnecting the same. The act of withdrawing the strap 17, winds up the spring '25, which upon beirg thus tightened has a tendency to wind up the strap upon the roller when the pull upon the stra is released.

Tiie side wall 11 is hingedly connected atl its upper end to the top 1'2, and its lower inner surface is provided with -an elongated slot '26 into which is inserted a projection 27 formed on the bottom 13, retaining the same in closed position. The bottom 13 is hingedly secured to the lower end of the side 10 and is adapted toopen itself b v gravity when the side wall 11 is pulled outwardly b v means of the ring 28, or releasing bar 29-.

In the back SiI rovide a slot 30 through which is inserted t 1e pin 31 formed on the releasing bar 29, and comes in direct contact. with the inner surface of the side 11, and bv pulling` upon the releasing rod 129, vril pull the side outwardly and release the bottom which will open automatically by gravity, at the same t'me release the roller 1E), together with the halter strap and permit the ginie to fall upon the ground or floor, thereby automatically releasing the animal. T he side 11 is held in closed position by means of the. springs 32 which are connected to lugs 33 formed on the inner surface thereof, and the opposite end of said springs are held il lugs 34 formed on the inner surface of the side 10- In placing my device in position upon the front wall of the stalls, I provide a strip of material 35 between the device and'. the Wall 15, forming a space for the insertion of the (See Fig. 2.) This bar extends from stall to stall and may be operated from either end, and by operating th shifting bar, each and evely device is pissed in operation simultaneously, and the halter straps released. This operation would be necessary in the event of tire, Where it is desired to release the animals rapidlymien it is desired to release one animal, the boiler may detach thc'halter strap 2S Without interfering with the balance of the devis The form of housing which I have snoml and described may be varied without departing from my invention, provided only that the roller 19 or other fastening device for a Having fully described my invention,

what I claim, is:

1. In a ranching and releasing mechanism for animals. the v.combination of a. housing having iis bottom and one side hingedly mounted, a spring roller located in said housing between the hinged side and the opposite side. and a releasing bar rovided with means n hereby the roller may Je released by the outward movement of the hinged side of the housing. substantially as described.

.Z. A device-of the class described comprising a housing having a hinged side and a. hinged bottom, a spring roller normally held in position between the hinged side and opposite side of the housing, a halter strap carried by said roller, and a mechanism for actuating the hinged side of the housing to release the roller and halter strap, substantially as described- 3. A device of the class described comprising a housing having a hinged bottom and a` hinged side. a detachable connection between thefree ends of the said hinged side and hinged bottom, a spring actuated roller mounted Within said housing between the hinged side and the opposite side thereof, a stop-bar for limiting the Withdrawal of the strap t'rom the housing, a releasing rod communicating with the hinged side Whereby the side and bottom may be disengaged and the halter strap released from the 1ousing, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a housing having a hinged wall and a hinged bottoni, a spring-controlled roller located Within the housing, its one end having bearing in the hinged wall, a halter strap -connected to the roller, a stopfastencd to the halter strap to'limit the withdrawal of said strap from the housing, a releasinv rod com- -niunicating -with the hinged wall whereby said wall may be operated on its hinge releasing the bottom and the spring roller, to-

gether with the halter strap, substantially as specified.

5. ln a releasing device for stalls, a housing composed of a rear Wall, front wall, side Walls, one movable, the other fixed, a top, a. bottom, a roller mounted within the housing, a member slidably mounted between the rear wall of the housing and the stall and provided witli means ada )ted to contact with the movable side where y the members composing the housing are separated to release the roller therefrom; means for retaining the movable side in contact with the bottom when in a normal position, substantially as described.

6.' In a releasing device for stalls, a hous Y ing composed of a rear wall, front wall, side Walls, one movable, the other iixed a. top, a bottom, a halter-fastening device mounted Within the housing, a member slidably mounted between the rear Wall of the housing and the stall and provided with means adapted to contact with the movable side whereby the members composing Vthe housing are separated to release the fastening device therefrom, ineans for retaining the movable side in Contact with the bottoni when in anormal position, substantially as described. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE SCIIREPFER. wWitnesses:

ALFRED A. EioKs, WALTER C. S'rniN. 

